Service/Volunteerism

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If you want to raise a person from mud and filth do not think it is enough to keep standing on top and reaching a helping hand down to the person. You must go all the way down yourself down into the mud and filth. Then take hold of the person with strong hands and pull the person and yourself out into the light.

To walk in God's ways" (Deuteronomy 11:22). These are the ways of the Holy One: "gracious and compassionate, patient, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, assuring love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and granting pardon." (Exodus 34:6). All who are called in God's name will survive.(Joel 3:5) How is it possible for a person to be called by God's name? Rather, God is called "merciful"—so too, you should be merciful.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: From where do we know that one who loses a coin from his/her hand and a poor person finds it and goes and is sustained by it, Scripture credits him/her as if he/she had given it? “When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow - in order that the Eternal your God may bless you in all your undertakings” (Deut. 24:19). And if one who did not intend to give credits as if he/she gave, how much the more so one who intends to give!

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: If one knows that their friend is used to greeting them, let them greet their friend first. For it is said: Seek peace and pursue it. (Psalms 34:15) And if their friend greets them and they do not return the greeting they are called a robber. [Soncino translation. Edited for gender neutrality]

Our masters taught, “Sufficient for one's need” means that you are obligated to maintain one at a basic level, but you wouldn’t be obligated to make that person rich;
“in that which one is lacking” means the obligation would also include even a horse to ride on and servant to run alongside (if that’s what one was used to).

Halacha 33:
[Concerning] a cistern which belongs to the people of a town. [If there is enough water for only] the townspeople or others - the townspeople have precedence [in drinking the water] over the others. Others or the townspeoples' animals - the lives of others have precedence over the animals. Rabbi Yose says that the townspeoples'animals have precedence before the lives of the others.
Halacha 34:
The animals of the townspeople or the animals of others - the animals of the townspeople have precedence to the animals of others.
Halacha 35: